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October 20, 2010 in City
Westboro plans pickets Thursday, Friday
Westboro Baptist Church, a radical anti-homosexual and anti-Semitic religious group based in Topeka, Kan., is planning to picket several sites in Spokane on Thursday and in Coeur d’Alene on Friday.
In some cases, the educational or religious institutions to be picketed are planning alternate events to divert attention from the Westboro pickets, who have gained national attention by shouting offensive remarks and carrying insulting signs at funerals for victims of violent homophobia and U.S. military war casualties.
The Westboro website says the group plans to picket Thursday at Gonzaga University, Moody Bible College, Whitworth University, Ferris High School and Eastern Washington University, and could be picketing the Jewish synagogue Chavurat HaMashiach that evening. On Friday, the group plans to picket at Coeur d’Alene and Lake City high schools and at North Idaho College.
Here are some details about events planned to counter the Westboro pickets in Spokane:
Gonzaga University student President Patrick Presley and other student leaders have organized a coffeehouse at 8 p.m. tonight at the Crosby Center. Gonzaga students and employees are encouraged to attend a “Sit-in for Justice” at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the St. Ignatius statue on campus, out of sight of the planned Westboro pickets on the northwest corner of the intersection of Spokane Falls Boulevard and Cincinnati. There will be civil rights speeches starting at 11:30 a.m. at the statue during the Gathering for Justice at 11:30 a.m., followed by Mass at 12:20 p.m. at the College Hall Chapel.
However, the Peace and Justice Action League is planning a direct counterprotest of as many as 1,300 people near the pickets.
Moody Bible College: The Peace and Justice Action League believes the Westboro pickets will forgo this venue in order to make more time for other activities, but that hasn’t been able to be confirmed.
Whitworth has scheduled a prayer vigil for tonight at the Seeley Mudd Chapel. There will be another prayer vigil, gospel choir and Communion on Thursday at 11 a.m., followed by a “love run” in the Pine Bowl to raise money for the YMCA and YWCA. President Beck Taylor will be in attendance. Westboro is expected to be on the sidewalk across from the Whitworth main entrance, 300 W Hawthorne Road.
Ferris High School: Apparently there is no planned alternative event. Principal Kevin Foster has written parents to inform them of the Westboro action, and that there may be traffic issues as a result. Otherwise, the school is planning “business as usual.” Westboro pickets are scheduled to be on the southeast corner of 37th and Regal at 2:25 p.m., about the time school lets out for the day.
Eastern Washington University has designated the outdoor basketball courts behind Pearce and Dressler Halls and the front of the parking lot to Roos Field as counterprotest sites. Both are across the street from where Westboro pickets will be on city sidewalks on Washington Street.
Synagogue Chavurat HaMashiach, 2914 S Latawah: Rabbis have requested that there be no counterprotest of Westboro pickets, according to the Peace and Justice Action League. Instead, there will be a community meeting in the synagogue. Many different groups are making plans to attend, reportedly including PJALS, OutSpokane and the Hell’s Angels.
Map: Planned pickets and counterprotests
Planned Westboro pickets are marked with red pins. Counterprotests are marked with blue pins.
View Westboro Baptist Church counterprotests in a larger map
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spokanecougar on October 20 at 3:26 p.m.
I plan to be there to picket these hateful, racist, shining example of inbreeding, disgusting bigots.
DeCaYeD on October 20 at 3:29 p.m.
Funny spokanecougar does not want people attacking his place in society yet he is attacking anybody that has a point of view other than the way he looks at things…
><(((*> on October 20 at 3:52 p.m.
I wouldn’t worry about it DeCaYeD,
Anything anybody does will offend somebody.
spokanecougar on October 20 at 3:57 p.m.
Sorry, any people that is out to restrict the rights of another group because they don’t fit the race, gender or sexuality of themselves deserves to be attacked and belittled.
I am attacking them because we live in a country were the rights of everyone should be equal, not just have rights because you are white, rich, religious, straight, or male.
DeCaYeD, I am sorry you like to live back in the 1950’s where white men were the ones that had the all the rights and all the power, but suck it up, this is 2010 and everyone deserves to be treated equally all around.
oneanddone on October 20 at 4:00 p.m.
Certainly no love lost betwixt moi and the libdems but THIS group of crackpots needs to be taught a lesson in civility. This “church” is mostly one whacked out family bent on getting their ass kicked. I’ll keep my fingers crossed they get their wish.
RDillon on October 20 at 4:07 p.m.
B”H
Shalom,
They are still planning on picketing Synagogue Chavurat HaMashiach. We are asking if people do come to join us at the synagogue in support of the Jewish people that they not interact with or counter-protest the Westboro group. We ask that if you come to come in the synagogue where we will be teaching a message of God’s love for Yisra’el and also for our enemies. There will also be live music and refreshments.
Chavurat HaMashiach is a small Messianic Jewish synagogue on the South Hill of Spokane and has about twenty families who attend, half of which are Jewish. We are a congregation of both Jews and Gentiles who are one people seeking to worship and serve the God of Yisra’el in unity as we seek to live a Torah submissive life. We practice Judaism, but we also believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah. There are hundreds of Messianic Jewish congregations all throughout the United States. Our particular congregation is part of a growing family of the congregations who are associated with the UMJA (United Messianic Jewish Alliance - www.umja.net ) and we have several sister congregations in our area.
DeCaYeD on October 20 at 4:07 p.m.
Agreed spokanecougar. I never said they didn’t. It is you who jumped all over the map on my comment. You clearly preach one thing but act the same way that you speak out against. Your like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.
bvml on October 20 at 4:15 p.m.
@RDillon,
Shalom.
It would be an honor for this gentile to join you. Thanks for the invitation, and I look forward to meeting with you and your congregation.
See you tomorrow!
Peace. Out.
Albert on October 20 at 4:25 p.m.
Think about this for a quick minute…wonder if NOBODY shows up for this “church of 70”. No news coverage, no counter protests, nothing….this is just want this group of wacko’s wants - attention. Demonstrate some civility, grace, and self control - don’t show up. Deny them what they came for.
eagleproducer on October 20 at 4:30 p.m.
rdillion: Then there us Jews who reject the Messiah myth because the prophecies concerning his imminent return have been rebuffed by two thousand years of history. I’m sure you’ve read the “mini-apocalypse” in Isaiah?
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Action-United-Spokane/157472874275792
That link provides an opportunity for people who wish to protest this group’s invasion of our community from a secular standpoint. It’s the message of this church that needs to be confronted, not the validity of their faith.
eagleproducer on October 20 at 4:34 p.m.
albert: I considered doing what you’ve proposed. I thought long and hard about it and decided that silence in the face of bigotry and intolerance is a form of appeasement. It’s endorsement of the behavior. It reminds me of Germans who sat by idly, dismissing the Brown Shirts as a minority while reminding themselves of their sanctimonious virtue.
Sure, it’s easier to just do nothing.
RDillon on October 20 at 4:40 p.m.
Spoketucky,
You are welcome to join us even if you don’t believe in the Messiah that millions around the world have come to believe in. Being openly hostile and rude towards the faith or convictions of these many millions seems to be the exact thing that Spokane is standing against…wouldn’t you agree?
But, that is not what our event is about. It is about supporting our people, the Jewish people, whatever they believe, where ever they are. We just wanted to give everyone a heads-up as to what kind of synagogue they will be visiting…we thought it was only fair. May Adonai bless and keep you.
RDillon on October 20 at 4:41 p.m.
I agree with your last comment, spoketucky.
><(((*> on October 20 at 4:59 p.m.
“Being openly hostile and rude towards the faith or convictions of these many millions seems to be the exact thing that Spokane is standing against…wouldn’t you agree?”
So Spokane is standing against, free speech?
bvml on October 20 at 5:20 p.m.
@Albert:
Sorry, SILENCE MEANS ACCEPTANCE
Peace. Out.
><(((*> on October 20 at 5:26 p.m.
@bvml
sorry, Silence means nothing.
Fixed that for ya.
ericdx on October 20 at 6:36 p.m.
Whatever anyone does, do NOT get into a physical confrontation with these people. I have been in attendance at one of their protests a few years ago, at a military funeral, and someone gave one of them what they so richly deserved, a knuckle sandwich. The problem is, several of the crackpots are also lawyers (Shirley Phelps-Roper is one, and the is the the daughter of the leader of this “church”, Fred Phelps) They filed suit, and took the individual and the local PD to the cleaners. The individual lost a personal injury suit, the police settled to avoid a suit for failure to act. This church funds itself by suing people who act against them, and sice they have several lawyers inthe family who’se entire purpose is to sue for damages to fund the church. They have, unfortunatley gotten very good at it.
The things they say and do at the protests, and the signs they carry, are the utmost disgusting demonstration of vileness, and about the furthest thing from the message of God, but they have the right to speak the trash they do, just like we have the right here to disagree with them. Just do not be suckered into trying to punch one of them, because youwill lose and they will win at that point.
Frankly, since there is a suit against the Phelps bunch that is in front of the US Supreme Court right now, I think they are here trying to get someone to take a swing at them, because if they lose the appeal, they have a huge suit that will be upheld against them, large enough that it will bankrupt the church, and its family of 70 or so followers. For more information, Google Snyder v. Phelps. This is one of the first cases the US Supreme Court has heard this session. Also, if you look, and follow some oft he links, be ready to be totally disgusted by some of the bile that this “church” spews.
Albert on October 20 at 9:04 p.m.
Evening friends, I will respectfully submit that to do nothing is not the easy way out. On the contrary, it requires restraint, and courage. These knuckle dragging, drooling imbeciles have a combined IQ of 5, and love to get all the attention, i.e. “persecution” for their stand up acts of pure idiocy. In addition, they are looking to sue - anybody. If we show up then so will the SPD and this is a ripe set up by these worms, (not the SPD). Think about it…why did they choose Spokane of all places? There is a plan behind this action and we don’t need to allow ourselves to fall into their trap. Please don’t allow yourself to fall prey to these vultures. That is all I’m saying here…I have “better things” to do, thus I will ignore their insanity.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on October 21 at 11:46 a.m.
Silence means nothing in the sense that it is a failure (or refusal) to speak out. The crackpots can put whatever spin they like on silence. They can claim that 99.9% of Spokane agrees with them since only .01% (or whatever number) bothered to show their disagreement.
I’m sure they would welcome anyone who agrees with them and wants to show up and demonstrate on their behalf.